


Hope for Forgotten Dreams

by SevSaysAlways221B



Category: Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
Genre: Could be seen as Lennie/George, Grief/Mourning, Hope, Original Character Death(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-24
Updated: 2016-01-24
Packaged: 2018-05-15 20:58:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5799919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SevSaysAlways221B/pseuds/SevSaysAlways221B
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a continuation of John Steinbeck's Of Mice & Men that I had to write in my English class. It's probably really shitty but I thought it was worth a shot. It starts where the book ended.</p>
<p>“How, Slim, how?” he whispered to the floor, “I can’t do this anymore.” Slim bent down immediately and gazed at George’s tear-stained face. He stared into his guilty, tortured eyes with a crushing sadness. Then, without a thought, he lifted the limp man’s arm around his own shoulders and dragged him to nearest chair. There, George’s desire to keep his composure vanished, as well as Slim’s. The agonized man’s body seemed to crumble even more. Slim sat on the ground like a puppet with its strings cut and moved to kneel in front of George."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hope for Forgotten Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> ALL OF THESE CHARACTERS BELONG TO John Steinbeck AND NOT ME!!
> 
> This is my first "work" and I wanted to at least post something. I know this story is shitty but I APPRECIATE ALL COMMENTS NO MATTER HOW MEAN THEY ARE SO PLEEEEAAAAASSSSEEEEE COMMENT BECAUSE IT ONLY HELPS ME IMPROVE!

The cold wind blew biting chills across their skin as George and Slim stumbled back the to bunkhouse. The temperature had continued to drop on the way back and now was catching up with the men. Their slow shuffling stopped while George’s shaking hands opened the bunkhouse’s thick door. Once, twice, thrice, he fumbled with the easy task, before Slim had suffered enough agony watching his feeble tries.

“Let me get it George,” whispered Slim softly, as if he was afraid of frightening the man. The door opened quickly with a swift push from Slim. The open door revealed the bunkhouse- as empty as before, but to the men it seemed emptier. Tears gathered in George’s eyes as the thought of missing Lennie came to mind. He felt his body become numb. He dropped to the floor.

“How, Slim, how?” he whispered to the floor, “I can’t do this anymore.” Slim bent down immediately and gazed at George’s tear-stained face. He stared into his guilty, tortured eyes with a crushing sadness. Then, without a thought, he lifted the limp man’s arm around his own shoulders and dragged him to nearest chair. There, George’s desire to keep his composure vanished, as well as Slim’s. The agonized man’s body seemed to crumble even more. Slim sat on the ground like a puppet with its strings cut and moved to kneel in front of George.

“You did the right thing George. I understand why ya’ had to do it. He was jus’ hurtin’ himself, and others,” he stammered out. They laid on the floor in silence, unmoving, until Slim spoke again,

“We’ve gotta move on George. We gotta. Them other guys won’t talk nice of Lennie. Best thing to do now is carry on like it never happened, as hard as it’s gonna be.” George’s defeated face looked up at the strong man with sadness and understanding in his eyes. George took a deep breath and prepared to reply. George began to speak the words that have been pooling in his mind. He was silenced, due to the sound of the bunkhouse door creaking open, to reveal the other men. Carlson, Candy, and Curley stomped through the doorway mumbling about their nearly frost-bitten fingers. Candy must have caught up with them coming back to the ranch. The pouting men walked into the silent room and made their way to the table. The tension was thick in the air as George tried to act as if nothing had happened.

“What the hell just happened?!” exclaimed Carlson as he sat next to George. “Boy, I woulda never seen that comin’. I can’t believe you was the one to finish that poor bastard!” He slung his arm roughly around the ragdoll of a man sitting next to him with a sort of praise. Candy’s eyes snapped towards the movement and Carlson met his gaze. The fury in the old man’s eyes had him recoiling his arm from George’s uncomfortable form and clearing his throat repeatedly. Curley then stepped towards the old man and stunned all of the occupants of the room when he spoke.

“Is my wife still there, Candy?” he questioned quietly, trying not to draw attention to him. His voice was soft, defeated, and had cracked multiple times in that one sentence. Now that his anger for Lennie seemed to have disappeared with the cold, raging wind outside, and he refocused on the tragedy at hand. Candy replied and Curley trudged out the door back to the barn without a second look. Directly after Carlson stood, patted George’s knee, and followed after Curley through the door. Candy saw this as an opportunity to sit and talk with George and Slim so he dragged another chair next to them.

“I’m sorry.” Candy whispered, and his took a breath to continue, but didn’t. Silence passed between the two men as the day slowly started to waste away into night. The slamming of the wind against the building and the rustling of the autumn leaves were constantly heard but there was a chilling silence in the air. There was no chance of sleep tonight so George was forced to stay awake. Along with him Candy and Slim sat willing to stay up with him as well. Curley and Carlson continued to be absent. Candy broke the silence by feebly stammering. “I guess the ranch we wanted to have will never happen now, huh? I just can’t see it happenin’ without Lennie….right George?” he muttered, the two other men just barely hearing it. At that, George froze. For so long their so called “dream ranch” was just that: a dream. Lennie had so much hope that everything would work out and they would spend the rest of their days there but George always knew better. Slim looked at Candy and George with confused features.

“What are you guys talkin’ about?” he questioned. “What’s this about a ranch?” Candy looked to George for approval and when he received it, he told Slim of all the wonderful things they had been planning.

“No,” George replied to Candy’s older comment, confusing the men who still describing the ranch, “We gonna still have our ranch. With every single thing we said it would have.” Candy looked at Slim in shock, and then at George with hope in his old eyes. “We can still do it.” he continued, “With all three of us yet, Slim included. It’ll be the best ranch around and we will take good care of it. For Lennie.”

**Author's Note:**

> Ew. Such a choppy ending but I can't figure out how to end it right. Any suggestions?


End file.
